Fabricated aluminum shell structure for a torpedo



Sept. 23, 1958 E. R. HESS ETAL FABRICATED ALUMINUM SHELL STRUCTURE FOR ATORPEDQ Filed Aug. 18, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS EDWARD R, HESS BYTHOMAS A. DALY ATTORNEYS Sept. 23, 1958 E. R. HESS ET AL FABRICATEDALUMINUM SHELL STRUCTURE FOR A TORPEDO 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 18.1952 INVENTORS EDWARD R. HESS THOMAS A. DALY CW6 (flu M ATTORNEYS Sept.23, 1958 E. R. HESS ET AL 2,853,038

FABRICATED- ALUMINUM SHELL STRUCTURE FOR A TdRRRDo Filed Aug. 18, 1952 v4 Sheets-Sheet 5 E 50 I v E INVENTORS EDWARD R. HESS THOMAS A. DALY Z G.Cu wk ATTORNEYS Sept. 23, 1958 2,853,038

FABRICATED ALUMINUM SHELL STRUCTURE FOR A TORPEDO Filed Aug. 18. 1952 E.R. HESS ET AL 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 9 5C EDwARD mH s BY THOMAS A. DAILYjflfi/g/w' 6.6UQM

ATTORNEYS United; States Patent FABRICATED ALUMINUM SHELL STRUCTURE FORA TORPEDG Edward R. Hess and Thomas A. Daly, Sharon, Pa., as-

signors, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America asrepresented by the Secretary of the Navy Application August 18, 1952,Serial No. 304,893

2 Claims. (Cl. 114-20) This invention relates to torpedoes and moreparticularly to improvements in shell construction for same.

In the prior art it has been the practice to construct torpedo shells ofvarious metals including steel and heat treated cast aluminum. Forcertain uses, the cast shell has been preferable to steel shells due toits lighter weight but has had the disadvantages of porosity, stresscracking, etc.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a torpedo shell formedof a plurality of sections, each section being constructed of hightensile rolled sheet aluminum alloy, the various portions of eachsection being secured together by welding.

Another object is to provide a reinforced welded alumi num alloy shellconstruction of comparable strength to a cast shell but considerablylighter in weight.

A further object is to provide novel methods of making a rolled sheetaluminum torpedo shell.

Still further objects and many of the attendant advantages of thisinvention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes betterunderstood by reference to the following detailed description whenconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of an exercise nose section, taken online 1-1, Fig. 1A;

Fig. 1A is a rear elevation of Fig. 1, as viewed from plane 1A1A, Fig.1;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the second or exercise section,taken on line 2-2, Fig. 2A;

Fig. 2A is a section taken on line ZA-ZA, Fig. 2;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the third or battery compartmentsection, taken on line 33, Fig. 3B;

Fig. 3A is a fragmentary section taken on line 3A-3A, Fig. 3;

Fig. 3B is a section taken on line 3B-3B, Fig. 3;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the fourth or afterbody section, aportion of the outer surface of the near side thereof being shown inside elevation;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the fifth or tail cone section;

Fig. 5A is a fragmentary rear elevation of Fig. 5 as viewed in thedirection of arrow 5A, Fig. 5;

Fig. 5B is a section taken on line 5B-5B, Fig. 5;

Fig. 5C is a fragmentary top plan of Fig. 5, as viewed in the directionof arrow 5C;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a connector ring employed between thevarious adjacent sections for securing same together;

Fig. 6A is an enlarged section taken on line 6A-6A, Fig. 6;

Fig. 6B is an enlarged fragmentary section as viewed in the direction ofarrow 6B, Fig. 6; and

Fig. 6C is a section taken on line 6C6C, Fig. 6.

Referring in detail to the drawing, and particularly Figs. 1 and 1A, thenose section 16 comprises a generally hemispherical shell portion 11having an aperture 12 therein which telescopically receives the frontend of a circular nose flange 13. A circumferential weld 14 in- "icetegrally joins the flange and portion 11. The rear end of portion 11telescopically receives a projecting flange or an annular joint ring 15and is welded thereto by a circumferential weld 16. In the fabricationof this section, shell portion 11 is pressed to shape between suitabledies, pads 17, towing eye 18 and bracket 19, are welded thereto, flange13 is then welded to the shell and joint ring 15 finally welded thereto.Any brackets 19a, 19b which must be secured to joint ring 15 are weldedthereto prior to application and Welding of the joint ring to the shell.After completion of all welding the entire unit is heat treated andthereafter the nose flange and joint ring finally finish machined to therequired dimensions.

Exercise section 20 shown in Figs. 2 and 2A comprises in general acylindrical shell 21 having a longitudinal weld 22, front and rear jointrings 15a, 15b, respectively, reinforcing ring-shaped ribs 23, 23a, 23b,23c and hand hole flanges 25, 25a. in the fabrication of this section itwill be assumed that the various reinforcing ribs have been rolled tocylindrical shape and adjacent ends thereof butt welded, except for thering 23a which has a gap be tween its ends; that the joint rings havebeen semi-machined; and that the shell has been rolled to substantiallycylindrical shape with a gap between adjacent longitudinal edgesthereof. The reinforcing ribs are disposed in desired spaced relationwithin the shell and the latter clamped thereon with strap clampsextending thereabout.

Ring 2.35 is tack welded to the shell at several angular positions, forexample at four positions apart. Joint rings 15a, 1512 are then appliedto the ends of the shell and similarly tack welded. The longitudinalseam of the shell is then tack welded after which openings 24, 24a aremachined in the shell and flanges 25, 25a, respectively, appliedadjacent thereto and similarly tack welded at several spaced points.Ring 23a is then adjusted to its proper position and tack welded to theshell at several angularly spaced points. The shell is then checked forsize with the strap clamps and all of the reinforcing rings weldedthereto, first by tack welding and then by welding at alternate areas tominimize heating of the materials. A similar procedure is employed forthe flanges and joint rings and finally the longitudinal seam is weldedtogether. The unit is then heat treated and the flanges and joint ringsfinished machined in the same manner as described for the nose section.

Battery compartment section 30 shown in Figs. 3, 3A and 3B is similar tosection 2% except that it is somewhat longer and is provided with abulkhead 31. The procedure of fabricating is essentially the same asdescribed for section 20.

Afterbody section 40 shown in Fig. 4 is also similar to sections 20 and30 and the procedure of fabricating is essentially the same as describedin connection therewith.

Tail cone section 50 shown in Figs. 5, 5A,. 5B and 5C is fabricated in amanner similar to that described for sections 20, 39 and 40, the onlyessential difference being that the shell is formed to a somewhatfrusto-conical shape rather than cylindrical. This section also differsfrom those previously described in that it is provided with vanes 51,52, 53 and 54 welded thereto.

The various sections are secured together by a plurality of split clamprings 60, one of which is shown in Figs. 6, 6A, 6B and 6C. This ringcomprises three sections 61, 61a and 61b secured together by three pairsof screws such as 62, 62 the heads 63 of which are disposed in recesses64 in one section and the opposite ends of which threadedly engage theadjacent section. The tapered annular groove 65 corresponds to the shapeof adjacent ends of the joint rings, when two sections are disposed inend to end abutting relation. When screws 62 are tightened a clamp ringwedgingly engages adjacent joint rings and draws them axially together.

The warhead employed with the torpedo is substantially the same shapeand length of the combined exercise nose section 10 and exercise section20, the parts i e sew d her. w t .a oin n s P Y QuslY s ri ed e the j it t me" o itt d and t e Parts integra -h,

secured-together bya circumferential weld between the rear end of thenose ,shell and front end of the rearward adjacent shell. I I j e "Towithstand eomparable pressures, the s'hel'l thiekness of the,construction describedmay be' 'reduced to approximately 60% of a castshell and thus save considerable weight which latter is'important torender the shell and complicated propulsion machinery andcontrolstherein a 199 mm n t 9 hatii ma be r ad ly r ove ed afte "emu "W le r nse enc s of f bri a on and eldin ha e been s gtib it l be lin r ta d t at e q a ma b va ied nd i ot in ende t lim t nven ion o n r i la e udescr hed cep a defined within thescope of the appended claims.

' What'is claimed is:

lm h of makin a es on rp do she l wh c includes the steps of forming anose section by shaping.

a sheet of aluminum alloy to a tubular generally hemispherical shapeforming at least one intermediate section rolled aluminum alloyreinforcing ribs and butt weldingthe end s 'of,each together, forming aplurality of annular *afioy to tubular shape with spaced longitudinaliy'extendaluminum alloy joint rings, disposing one of said joint ringsadjacent the larger end of said tail cone and welding; same thereto,disposing some of said reinforcing ribs within the tail cone in spacedaxial alignment and welding same thereto, similarly disposing some ofsaid reinforcing ribs within an intermediate section and welding, samethereto, and similarly disposing one of said joint rings adjacent atleast one end of an intermediate section and welding same thereto.

2. A method of making a unitary section of ,a torpede shell whichincludes the steps of forming a" plurality of reinforcing ribs, each ribbeing ,formed by rolling 1a solid rectangular aluminum alloy bar toannular shape and butt welding ends of same, rolling a sheet of aluminuming adjacent edges, disposing the ribs Within the rolled sheet in axialrelationship, contracting the rolled sheet onto the ribs and narrowingthe space between ,said edges, forming an annular joint ring anddisposing ,same-adja cent an end of the rolled sheet, weldingthe'frib'sand joint ring to the rolled sheet, welding said edgestogether, heat treating said unitary structure, and subsequently mac,ing the joint ring to its finished dimensions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 y H1,441,304 :Slocomb, Jan. *9, 192-3 1,547,329 Jones July 28, 19251,684,145 Riek Sept. .1 1,1928 2,121,670 Saives Jul 1e21, 1938 I2,572,116 Daly Oct. '23, 1951 Jones Oct. 7, 1952

